Indicator.



E..P. RODGERS. INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED rmmo, 1911.

1,017,806. Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

J ames Brown.

G PP 8 porting hook or the like.

Z ELLSWORTH P. RODGERS, OF HIGHTSTOWN, NEW JERSEY.

INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 20,1912.

Application filed February 20, 1911. Serial No. 609,814.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLSWORTH P. Ron- GERS, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Hightstown, Mercer county, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object an improved form of indicator or memorandum device particularly adapted for use in markets and stores and in the culinary departments of hotels and houses for the" purpose of indicating when articles are out of stock or required to be ordered. My improved indicator also forms a convenient, cheap and effective advertising medium..

The above and other objects will appear and be better understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a device embodying one form of'my invention; Fig. 2 is a cross sectional detail of the same; Fig. 3 is a perspective of one of the slides.

The device as shown comprises an oblong plate 5 preferably of metal. One end of the plate is rounded off as shown at 6 and provided with an opening 7 to receive a sup- The front surface of the plate is preferably provided with spaced vertical lines 8 arranged on either side of the longitudinal central line and spaced from the side edges of the plate. The space or panel between the lines 8 may be covered with suitable advertising matter such as shown at 10, so also may the upper space bounded by the rounded end 6 have the name of the Storekeeper or other matter imprinted thereon. A plurality of horizontal lines 9 extend from the lines 8 to points adjacent the opposite side edges of the plate, these lines being spaced apart relatively short distances as shown in Fig. 1. On the spaces 10' between the lines 9 may be printed the names of articles usually kept in stock, for instance, by market-men, storekeepers, or housekeepers. Any number of spaces 10 may be provided according to vthe variety of articles to be provided for. While I have shown in Fig. 1 a plate provided with a certain number of spaces it will be understood that 1 am not to be. limited to this specific number of spaces or size of plate, since the number of spaces and the size of the plate may be diminished or increased as occasion requires. It will be further understood that I am not to be limited to 'the specific arrangement of spaces shown in Fig. 1, since it will be obvious that a single column of panels 10' may be used if desired.

The side margins of the plate 5 are bent rearward, forming flanges 11, which are provided with slots 12 somewhat less in length than the distance between the lines 9. The whole number of slots 12 corresponds to the number of spaces or panels 10' between the lines 9, the. said slots being arranged between the lines 9. Suitable guides are formed by depressing portions 13 located between spaced parallel incisions 14:. The incisions 14 correspond in length to the length of the slots 12 and are located between the latter and the lines 8. The portions 13 are in alinement with the slots 12 for a purpose to be presently described. It

, will be understood that the number of guides will correspond to the number of slots 12. Formed in the plate between the guides and slots 12 are circular sight openings 14.

The slides 15 comprise plateshaving oppositely bent end portions 16 and 17. The slides 15 correspond in length approximately to the length of the spaces 10' and on one surface thereof are provided with a plurality of different colored sections 18 and 19. The slides are preferably of light metal and before bending the inner ends 17 thereof the slides are inserted through the slots 12 and over the portions 13, after. which the inner end portions are bent as indicated at 17 and as shown in Fig. 2. The colored portions 18 on the slides are visible through the openings 14 when the slides are moved outwardly. As shown the outward movement of the slides is limited through cooperation of the bent portion or stop 17 and one side of the portion 13 and likewise inward movement of the slides is limited by the bent portions 16 abutting against the sides of the slots 12. It will be observed, when the slides are moved inwardly as far as they will go, that portions of the colored surfaces 19 will be visible through the openings 14. Preferably these surfaces of the slides are colored to correspond to the outer surface of the plate 5 in which case the entire outer surface of the panels 10 will appear of uniform color when the slides are in. When one or more of the slides are pulled outwardly as far as they will go, as shown in Fig. 1, the

colored surfaces 18 will be visible through the openings 14: and thus indicate that the particular articles named in the correspondmg panels 10' are exhausted. With this construction it will be seen that a simple means is provided to enable a merchant to make up an order and at the same time frequent trips-t0 remote parts of a building for an article out. of stocltwill be eliminated.

My improved indicator forms a very usefull article for storekeepers, housekeepers,

and others who are required tokeep various articles in stock endto occasionally reorder the same. It so useful that it will be pro served by any persons provided with it even though it be distributed free, and hence it will form a very valuableadvertising means. It is especially useful to storekeepers in ad vertising their business and their various lines of wares, and for this purpose may be either sold or distributed freelto their cus tomers. l

Having thus described my inventionwhat secure by Letwith a series of guide openings in saidflange,

guides formed integral with said plate and arranged, on the rear side thereof in line with the openings in said flange, sightopel1- ings between said guides and said flange, and slides arranged in said flange openings and said guides and having stops at their ends, and a plurality of indicating means on the front of said slide and adapted to appear in said si ht openings when the slides are moved to diderent positions.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELLSWORTH I. RODGERS.

Witnesses Percy PULLEN, *Mmnm E. Hnnoxsrnr. 

